Bid indicator for card games



Feb. 21, 1933. J. 5. WALKER BID INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1' 4 rINVENTOR Filed Jan. 4, 1932 A ORNEY5 Feb. 21, 1933. J. 5. WALKE R BID INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES- Fi led Jan. 4, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Feb. 21, 1933. J 5 WALKER 1,898,862

BID INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES Filed Jan. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 $5 F910. 42 y 1 1 pg R "JfplLfl l 45 v INVENTOR BY m fwd 0.

ATTOR N EYS Patented Feb. 21, 1933 BID INDICATOR FOB CARD GAMES Application filed January 4, 1932.

The invention relates to a bid indicator for card games and more especially to a bid register for card tables. v

The primary object of the invention is the 5 provision of a register of this character wherein the same is mountable within the top of a card table and is operable for identifying by registration the bid as made by a player in a game 01": cares, more especially bridge,

five hundred or other card game so that the group of players at a card table are not required to relie upon memory for the nature of the bid or the valuation thereof and in this fashion eliminating dispute as to a made bid.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a register of this character w ierein the same in its makeup enables the following of bids of a game of cards as the register makes visible bids as made by the respective players of the group a card table so that there is no liability of a dispute as to the nature of the bid or the player making the same, the register being of novel form and is so located at the top of a card table as not to interfere with its playing surface and is within view of each and all players there assembled. p

A further object of the invention is the provision of a register of this character which is extremely simple in construction thoroughly reliable and ei'licient in its operation, neat and attractive in appearance, assuring correctness as to the bids of a game of cards, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a card table showing the register constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the register Serial No. 584,700.

removed from the table top and its cover plate oetached.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line H of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 oir igure 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the register levers.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a mount or bearing for said lever.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the lever shown in Figure 6 with the button carrying ends unfolded or in normal fiat condition.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a slight modification.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 1111 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of one of the register levers used in the modified form.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, particularly Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, the register coi iprises a box-like body or casing 10 having an open top and a solid closed bottom while about the open top is an outturned marginal flange 11, the body or casing 10 being preferably at two corners thereoi diagonally formed as at 12 or in other words presentopposite reversny beveled corners at one side of said body or casing. This body or casing 10 is received within a correspondingly shaped opening in a card table top 13 so that the register in its entirety will be located close to one corner of said top and the beveled or diagonal corners 1 of said body or casing 10 permits of close approach of the register to such corner of the table top and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. The outturne'd marginal flange 11 of the body or casing 10 is countersunk within a groove 1% formed marginally oi the opening for the said body or casing 10 as made in the table top 13 and removably fitted upon the open top 01 said body or casing 10 is a cover plate 15, the same 1 ,so fitting the groove 14 marginally so that this plate 15 will be flush with the upper surface of the table top 13.

Located within the body or casing 10 is a series of spaced parallel mounts or bearings 16, the ics being properly arranged in an are extending from end to end of the body or casing 10 midway thereof, each mount 16 being formed with bendable tongues 17 at its lower end to engage i the bottom of said body or casing 10. These tongues 17 are carried through correspondingly s 1 slots 18 in the bottom of the body or casing 10 and are bent laterally to make secure the respective mounts in their spaced relative position to each other. At the top of: each mount or hearing 16 is; a be ...cle tongue 19, the same being carried through a suitable slot- 20 in a. bridge 21 which is detachably secured in place by fasteners 22 passed therethrough and engaged in the bottom of the body or casing 10 between the mounts or bearings 16 so that in this manner these mounts will be rigidly held in perpendicular spaced relation to each other throughout the arcuate course thereof.

Upon each mount or hearing 16 is carried a vertical rocking lever 2 having opposite upturned ends 24 with bendable ears for the mounting of buttons or heads 26 thereon. The buttons or heads are adapted to be alternately exposed at opposite ends of the respective levers 28 through openings or holes 27 in the cover plate 15 and these holes or openings 27 being correspondingly shaped to said buttons or heads 26 as will be apparent from Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. The levers 23 each is connected with its companion mount or hearing 16 by a cross pivot 27 riveted in place to set up frictional contact between said lever and its companion AL) hearing or mount 16 so to enable the lever when shifted to be frictionally held in such shifted position.

The buttons or heads 26, it being apparent from Figure 1 of the drawings that these are arranged in arcuate rows and duplicated at opposite ends of the respective levers 23 so that there will be presented through the cover plate 15 of the register duplicated outside and inside rows 28 and 29 respectively and such rows being arcuately disposed so that on depressing the button or head 26 in one row a duplicate button thereto will be raised in the other row. It is to be assumed that the buttons in the outside rows 28 are normally raised With the buttons at the inside row 29 lowered, these being concealed from view while those raised. in the outside row will be clearly visible. The outside rows 28 of buttons 26 constitute the operating zone of the register while the buttons of the inside rows 29 are the indicating zone for identifying the bids as made by players of a game of cards.

The duplicated heads 26 of certain of the levers 23 have thereon at their exposed faces indicia identifying the symbols of playing cards, such for example, as diamonds at 30, hearts at 31, clubs at 32 and spades at 33 respectively, While the heads or buttons 26 of other levers 23 have thereon at their exposed surfaces indicia indicative of the valuation of a bid and the counter-bidding of a player and opponent while other buttons or heads carry indicia identifying the respective dealers of the cards in the playing of a game and other heads or buttons carry indicia identifying the tricks acquired by players of the game of cards. In other words, these buttons or heads are supplied or provided with suitable indicia to identify the character of bids as made in a game of cards when being played, the dealers of the cards, number of tricks acquired by the respective players and the counterbidding of such play ers either by a partner, dealer or opponents.

Of course it is to be understood that the indicia provided upon the buttons or heads 26 can be varied accordingly to the characteristics of the bids of a particular game of card playing.

For an example of the use of the register it will be assumed that a bid of spades has been nade by the first dealer, an operator of the register depresses the button or head 26 carrying the indicia of the trump spade in the outer row 28 which manipulation brings to view in the inner row 29 the head or button 26 therein bearing the trump bid spade and of course the button or head carrying the indicia of the first bidder which are identilied by numerals within the outer row 28 is depressed, thus making visible in the inner row 29 the button or head having the duplicate indicia dealer with the numerals 1 identifying the first dealer. As tricks have been acquired the operator of the register manipulates the buttons or heads bearing indicia identifying the number of such tricks as acquired, so that in this manipulation of the register a fixed or positive indication will be had of the bids of players of the game of cards, as for example, bridge, five hundred or other card games.

The cover plate 15 carries a clip 34 for receiving a card or slip 35 upon which is indicia identifying a particular card table so that in the playing of progressive card games the players at a card table can determine at a glance their table station or location. The card or slip 35 is readily removable from the clip 34 as will be apparent.

In Figures 9 to 12 of the drawings there is shown a slight modification of the invention wherein the body or casing 36 is preferably made from bakelite and the same is anchored within the table top 37 without the use of screws or like fasteners while the cover or top plate 88 is fitted upon the body or casing through corner engaging wedges 39 frictionally insertable within the body or casing 86 at its corners so that in this manner such cover plate 88 is retained in closing position at the open top of the body or casing 36. Formed interiorly of the body or casing 36 are upstanding bearings 40, these having notches 41 which open upwardly through the bearings and depending from the cover plate 38 are bearings 42, these having notches 43 opening cownwardly therethrough so that a pivot rod 44 can be engaged and held in these notches 41 and 48 and supported within the bearings 40 and 42 respectively. The le ers 45 are mounted for rocking movement upon such pivot rod 44 in spaced parallel relation to each other and the upturned ends 46 of these levers carry the heads or buttons 47. The levers each is of a construction as shown in Figure 12 of the drawings and re versely rocked upon the pivot rod 44 in the operation of the register in its modified form but otherwise said modified form of register is identical with that hereinbefore described and of the preferred construction.

It should be apparent that by grouping duplicate rows of buttons or heads 26 spaced as to the grouping thereof to have outside and inside rows it affords convenience to an operator of the register as the outside row will be closed to such an operator when at a card table while the inside row will be visible tothe other players about such table and such inside rows is the indicating side of the register while the outside rows is the operating side thereof.

The levers 45 each on opposite sides of its pivot axis has formed at the upper edge thereof reversely inclined fins 48 which constitute stops for abutment with the top plate 38 so that the heads, buttons or keys 26 will be limited in their upward movement and sustained flush or substantially so with the edge of the holes or openings 27 in the top plate 28, whereas if these fins 48 werev not present such buttons, heads or .teys 26 would protrude beyond the top plate 26 by pro jection through the openings or holes 27 therein when the lever would be operated.

What is claimed is y 1. In a device ofthe kind described, a casing adapted to be countersunk in a card table top to have its top flush therewith, the top having a plurality of rows of openings bearings formed on the top and in the casing and overlapping each other, a shaft sup ported by the bearings and interlocked therewith, rocking levers supported by the shaft between the overlaps of said bearings and having their ends confronting said openings in the top, buttons carried by the ends of said levers and movable alternately into the openings in the tops to be received thereby substantially in the plane of said top, said buttons having indicia indicative of card game bidding and player identification.

2. A device of the character described com prising a casing adapted to be countersunk within a table top, a cover plate on the casing lying flush with the table top and having rows of spaced openings, a plurality of rocking levers journaled within the casing and having their ends extended beneath the open ings, push button heads on the ends of said levers and movable alternately into the openings next thereto to lie substantially in the plane of the cover plate without undue protrusion thcrethrough, and ind'icia on the outer sides of the heads and indicative of game card symbols, card trick values, bid valuations and players identification.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN S. WALKER. 

